The present invention relates generally to a body massaging apparatus of a circulated water current type. More particularly, the invention relates to a body massaging apparatus of a circulated water current type for providing a vibratory stimulating or massaging effect on the surface of a human's body, particularly on the surface of the human's abdomen, by means of a fluid force so as to enhance metabolism the body and make firmer or leaner.
Body massaging apparatuses of a circulated water current type which combine, in view of medical science and physiology, a living body and fluid dynamics to employ the influence of vibratory stimulation on the body surface by a water flow, have been developed. Such apparatuses are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 61-90661, 61-240958, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 61-17492, and a report entitled "STUDY ON AQUAFITNESS", on pages 150 to 153 of a Monthly journal "LEISURE INDUSTRY", Data No. 230. These apparatuses produce around a patient placed in a bathtub a water current directly and continuously acting on the front of the patient's body such that the water current flows in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body. More specifically, when the velocity of fluid in which a body is placed exceeds a certain value, Karman vortices are produced therein to thereby vibrate the body right and left. In this case, if the body is made of a soft elastic material, the fluids having flowed along the surface of the body become unstable and the pressures exerted on the respective portions of the body surface change accordingly. The apparatuses disclosed in the references utilize such phenomena. Accordingly, these apparatuses produce a vibratory stimulating or massaging effect on the human's body, as shown by the results of experiments disclosed in the above-cited references.
In the apparatus of the above-mentioned type, however, the water current flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the patient's body, with the patient placed in the bathtub in substantially a standing attitude. In this case, when the apparatus is used to reduce excessive fat in the body surface layer, particularly in a region about the abdomen of an overweight patient, the patient placed in the bathtub in substantially a standing posture can not be fully relaxed, and thus, the body portions, particularly the region about the abdomen, a while receiving the massaging action of the water current. As a result, the metabolism of the patient's body, particularly in the region about the abdomen including the excessive fat, may not be effectively activated, and thus, the weight of the body, particularly in the region about the abdomen may not be reduced sufficiently. Accordingly, frequent baths have been required for achieving sufficient effects. For example, some patients using the above-described apparatus have been required to receive repeatedly massaging treatments of at least about thirty times to obtain a weight reduction of about 1.5 to 4.5 kg.